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Pyeongchang emerges as chamber music center
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The Great Mountains International Music Festival and School (GMMFS) has a tradition of showcasing chamber music at an elite level. / Courtesy of the GMMFS Organizing Committee
By Do Je-hae
By Do Je-hae
Although unknown to many Koreans, Pyeongchang is home to one of Asia's most comprehensive chamber music festivals.
Despite its remote location, the annual Great Mountains International Festival & School (GMMFS) has succeeded in gathering large audiences year after year as a rare platform for extensive chamber music experience in Korea.
The GMMFS will be held from July 24 through Aug. 3 with participation from some of the world's foremost instrumentalists gathering for chamber music ― the most enjoyable form of music-making. The GMMFS has transformed the cultural landscape of the region, with an ultra-modern 640-seat auditorium and a tented theater with a seating capacity of 1,300. The festival has grown over the years to fulfill its aim of becoming Korea’s “Aspen Music Festival.”
“The festival has gained an international reputation since its establishment 10 years ago. It is one of the most successful in Asia,” said Chung Myung-wha, GMMFS music director and cellist.
The festival has run the “Prominent Artists” each year, which has brought some world renowned musicians to Gangwon Province, such as the U.S. cellist Gary Hoffman and Chinese cellist Jian Wang.
A highlight of the event is violinist Chung Kyung-wha, who for the first time in years will perform Schubert. The renowned violinist has rarely performed works by the Austrian composer. The piece she has chosen is the lovely violin sonata in A major, which is well suited for the Chung's sensitive playing.
One of the aims of the festival is to give young artists a chance to perform. Korean pianists Son Yeol-eum and Kim Da-sol played together in the piano version of Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring" last year to celebrate the 100th year since the work's scandalous 1913 premiere in Paris. The festival’s tenth anniversary last year was devoted to introducing music by composers from Northern Europe.
The teaching aspect of the festival has been a priority for organizers. It has invited some of the most renowned teachers, such as Curtis Institute of Music President Roberto Diaz who is a celebrated violist.
The festival was founded by Kang Hyo, Juilliard and Yale professor of violin. Violinist Chung Kyung-wha and her sister Myung-wha have served as music directors since 2010.
The concerts will take place at Alpencia Hall, the main venue of the GMMFS and various parts of Gangwon Province.